by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

by Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY Sports

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The letters screamed out in all-caps across the Barclays Center video board, punctuated by an exclamation point.

HELLO COACH! J.KIDD BACK WHERE HE BELONGS

There are differences, of course, between these Brooklyn Nets and the New Jersey Nets of Jason Kidd's youth. The location and team name have been altered, and the color scheme is different.

But the Nets have called upon Kidd again to lead an organization they believe should be competing for NBA championships. First, as a player.

Thursday, in front of his family, his star point guard and dozens of news reporters, Kidd was introduced formally as the Nets' head coach by general manager Billy King.

"When this process started ‚?¶ we were looking for a coach that's going to have great leadership, help us get to the direction we want to get to and get players to compete," King said. "Jason Kidd embodies everything we were looking for.

"Anytime you make a hire, I think it's a risk. You've got to believe in your gut and the person."

Kidd sat down in front of a microphone, a half-smile forming on his lips as he looked out into the sea of cameras and faces. There was a twinkle in his eye.

"When I played the game, I felt like I was an extension of the coach," said Kidd, a trait that makes his move from playing to coaching not terribly surprising.

He impressed King with his leadership skills, knowledge of the league and familiarity with the Nets' personnel. He spoke of wanting this team to play better defense and to play at a faster tempo offensively. Kidd said his analytical side comes naturally.

The speed of that transition - a week and a half after he announced his retirement as a player - is unconventional, but Kidd is not the only freshly retired player to try his hand at being a head coach.

The Nets are hoping Kidd's path will follow that of Larry Bird, whom the Indiana Pacers hired as their coach after his Hall of Fame career ended with the Boston Celtics. Bird's Pacers reached one NBA Finals and two conference finals. However, Bird didn't go to Indiana until five years after the end of his playing career.

"Maybe you can say the process has been moved up quickly, but I'm excited for that challenge," Kidd said.

It's a little different from the one the Nets presented him with 12 years ago. Back then, the New Jersey Nets acquired the point guard from the Phoenix Suns and handed him a team that had gone 26-56 a year earlier. The Nets made the playoffs in each of Kidd's six full seasons, including improbable runs to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

In the last week and half, Kidd, 40, went from being the second-oldest active NBA player to the league's third-youngest head coach - a "rookie," Kidd called himself.

One thing that has surfaced since Kidd was a candidate was his DWI arrest in Southampton, N.Y., in June 2012.

"I won't go too far (into it) because it's a legal matter, but we talked about it and I'm comfortable with where things stand," King said. "I spoke to his attorney, so it's a legal matter and it'll be resolved and addressed afterward."

The Nets are coming off a 49-win season, their best in seven years, which wasn't enough to save the job of coach Avery Johnson or interim coach P.J. Carlesimo. Brooklyn was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls, who won Game 7 on the Nets' home court.

The Nets interviewed Pacers assistant Brian Shaw on Wednesday before ultimately choosing Kidd. Kidd said Thursday he is reaching out to various people for assistant coaching jobs, including his former coach, Lawrence Frank.

Kidd inherits a roster full of talent that wasn't exactly maximized last season. A great deal of Kidd's - and the Nets' - success next season and beyond will depend on star point guard Deron Williams.

Kidd had nothing but praise for Williams on Thursday, calling him one of the best point guards in the league and the Nets' best player. Kidd said he hopes Williams will be "an extension of the coach," just as Kidd was on his own teams.

"It starts with your leader," Kidd said. "Look at Deron. He's your best player and he's the one who's going to relay the message as much as the guys hear me talking.

"My message is going to be simple: Understand you have to play hard and you have to play defense. We're going to grow together, and that's what's going to make us special."